A targeted radiation drug tested in brain tumors that came back
Original title: 177Lu-PSMA Therapy in Recurrent High-Grade Glioma: A Pilot Study With Dosimetric Insights.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This was a small first test in people, mostly checking safety.
The short version
Doctors gave a targeted radiation drug to six people whose high grade brain tumor came back.
What was studied. This was a small first test of a drug called 177Lu-PSMA in people whose high grade glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary returned. Ten patients joined the study, and six of them got the treatment.
What they found. Six patients got 20 rounds of the drug in all, from 1 to 7 rounds each. No severe side effects happened, and the most common problems were tiredness, short term dry mouth, and nausea. Scans showed the tumor held steady in half the patients for part or all of the treatment.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: The drug could be given to some people with returning high grade glioma: A tumor that starts in the glial cells. Those are the support cells of the brain and spinal cord. Gliomas are given a grade from 1 to 4. The grade says how the tumor is expected to act. See the glossary, and most side effects were mild. The study was small, so it mainly shows the idea is worth more testing.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean the drug works. It was a small first test in people, set up to check if the treatment was even possible, not to prove it helps anyone live longer. The authors say the tumor may need to get a higher dose to work better. You cannot get this as regular care today, and it is not a cure.
Source: PubMed, October 28, 2026 · Read the original
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